tech
Meta is shutting down VR social platform Horizon Worlds in further pivot away from the metaverse
Meta is scaling back its metaverse focus, cutting studios and head count at Reality Labs to prioritize artificial intelligence.
TL;DR
- Meta is shutting down Horizon Worlds, its VR social network.
- The Horizon Worlds app will be removed from the Quest store at the end of March and fully from VR on June 15.
- After June 15, Horizon Worlds will only be available as a standalone mobile app.
- This shift follows over 1,000 employee cuts in Meta's Reality Labs unit.
- Meta is prioritizing artificial intelligence over its metaverse initiatives.
- Horizon Worlds struggled to gain significant user traction, never exceeding a few hundred thousand active users monthly.
- The mobile version of Horizon Worlds, launched in September 2023, was designed as an entry point for users without VR headsets.